Procrastinators, Rejoice: Walmart Announces Last-Minute Pickup

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Dec. 13, 2016 – With Christmas less than two weeks away, nearly 90 percent of customers still have some shopping to do, according to Walmart’s internal research. Walmart today unveiled its plans to serve last-minute shoppers with a free Christmas Eve Pickup commitment for eligible orders placed online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23. The retailer also launched a new online destination for last-minute shoppers and released shipping cut-off dates.

“We’ve promised customers that we will be there for them the entire holiday season whether they are shopping for gifts or the everyday basics they count on us for,” said Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. “We are making it easy for customers to find last-minute gifts in stores and online by ensuring we’re stocked with top items and offering Pickup through Dec. 24. December is also the biggest month for food and we are ready for grocery shoppers purchasing ingredients for all occasions – from everyday meals to Christmas dinner.”

Pickup on Dec. 24 Walmart is ensuring customers shopping online will be able to get their gifts up until the very last minute through its free Pickup service, available in more than 3,900 stores across the country. Customers who order an item available for Pickup online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23 will be able to pick up the item in stores on Dec. 24 by 6 p.m. local time. Qualifying items will be tagged as “Free Pickup Today.” For the first time, Walmart launched a dedicated online destination (www.walmart.com/lastminutegifts) so customers can easily find items that are available for same-day Pickup the days leading up to Christmas. The site will feature thousands of items and will indicate what is available at local stores. Pickup, especially same-day, has been incredibly popular throughout the holiday season with 10 times as many Pickup orders placed on peak days compared to an average day.

Top Gifts for Last-Minute ShoppersFrom toys and electronics to pajamas and cookware, Walmart worked hard to ensure its digital and physical aisles are stocked with top last-minute gifts, including:

Toys for all ages including bicycles and ride-ons such as Chaos and Trouble bikes for $79.97 and a 12V Yamaha Raptor for $199 ($50 savings), Walmart exclusives such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Remote Control Skateboarding Mikey for $49 ($10 savings) and classic toys like the EZ Bake Oven for $28.88 ($18.86 savings) and Barbie Dreamhouse for $149 ($27 savings). Walmart also moved up shipments in toys, including Barbies, Legos, PJ Masks and My Little Pony, that typically arrive in January to have them on shelves for the end of December.

Popular new cameras such as the Walmart-exclusive Fuji Instax Mini7s Camera with 10-pack film for $49 ($10 savings) and GoPro Hero 5 Session Camera for $299.

Televisions and streaming devices such as a Roku 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV for $428, a VIZIO SmartCast 65-inch 4K Ultra HDTV with Chromecast for $778 and the Roku Express+ for $39.

Video games and consoles including top video games Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Madden NFL 17 for $39.82 each ($20 savings) and video game consoles such as Xbox One S White 500GB Battlefield 1 Console Bundle for $269 ($30 savings) and PlayStation 4 Uncharted 4 Console Bundle for $269 ($30 savings).

Last Days to Ship and Free Shipping on ToysFor customers looking to have gifts delivered right to their doorsteps, Dec. 22 at noon local time is the last day to place an order on Walmart.com for rush delivery. Standard shipping will be available until Dec. 20. Additionally, Walmart is offering free two-day shipping on more than 1,500 toys from Dec. 14 to Dec. 21.

Delivering for December Meals December is full of last-minute meals and occasions, from big family get-togethers to weeknight dinners and office parties. In fact, 10 of Walmart’s top-selling food days are in December. This season, Walmart also launched new seasonal food items including the Patti LaBelle Limited Edition Premium Sweet Potato Pie, Hershey’s Kissmas Sweater Kisses and Pringles Sugar Cookie Crisps.

Christmas Eve Hours Walmart stores will close at 6 p.m. local time on Christmas Eve – two hours earlier than previous years. Pickup will be available until stores close for orders placed on Dec. 23.

“Our associates work hard all year to make this holiday season special for our customers, and we appreciate what they do every day,” added Judith McKenna, chief operating officer, Walmart U.S. “We also know that getting home on Christmas Eve to spend time with families is important. That’s why this year we’ll be closing at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.”

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About Walmart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,593 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.4 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.